University of New Mexico-Main Campus Top Questions

Leaving family and home is scary at first, but college is the first big step to growing up. In high school, the teachers are supposed to do everything they can to help the students graduate, but college is much different: you are responsible for your own future and your own success. The teachers are not going to babysit you like they did in high school. It is imperative that students learn responsibility early on, otherwise college will be much more difficult than it needs to be. For me, college was the next step in becoming a responsible and mature adult, one who takes responsibility for her own actions and who is the only one keeping myself from having a bright, successful future.

What I have gotten so far out of my college experience at the University of New Mexico is that I learned more about my culture and other cultures. I've met people from other countries and hear their life stories from where they live and why they chose to come to this school. For example, I met this person from India who is going into the engineering field and he told that he had to do one year of military service before going to college. He said that the training was hard but it made him a stronger person. He chose UNM because it has a good engineering program and from his magnet experiment at a Science Fair, he was given a full scholarship. From this experience, I knew I needed to join some school groups, so I did one year of Marine ROTC and it also made me a stronger person. It also taught me the skills to become a really leader. So I hope I can use these skills to become successful at my future job as an Electrical Engineer.

I have not yet attended the University of New Mexico, but I have attended Luna Community College. I will begin college at UNM in the Fall as either a shophomore or a junior because I have earned my General Education Certificate at Luna. Most of my classes from the Community College will transfer to UNM and further me on the road to graduation. I chose UNM becuase of its good reputation in the state of New Mexico and around the country, and because it has one of the best psychology programs in the state. Although it is expensive and I may experience post-college debt, it would be worth every penny because of the good and challenging education I will recieve in attending the University of New Mexico. Not only will I recieve a good education, but because of its size, I will also meet many new people and learn to function in the world and work force.

I received a great education and met many diverse and interesting people while attending UNM. I enjoyed my experience there, and am grateful for the opportunity to have attended.

I have listened to many college stories before i attended any college. All these stories were different but i feel i got the best oppurtunity to study here at The University of New Mexico. The reason for this is because i feel that i have been able to come out of my cocoon and be a more sociable person than i have ever been. there is more oppurtunities for Workstudy which helps me specifically pay for school. I also feel that the classes are active and well organized in order for me to get the most out of them. My college experieces have taught me to even out my work load with the fun that i can have. It has also taught me to choose wisely where i want to go and to study in order to get ther. To work hard i have also learned to be able to succeed in life . This includes all aspects. It has been very valuble to attend this college and the previous colleges i have attended and reccommend all high school freshman to go to college and specifically here at the University of New Mexico for a Great college experience.

I have only been here at UNM for two years, but in those two years I have learned something of the upmost importance to me. That is that I should do what I want in life. It may sound ridiculously simple but when I enrolled into this university I wanted to become a geneticist. However horrible math skills cause me to rethink this, and so I changed my major to psychology, a field that requires little math and offers a great pay. Life here has shown me though that a great pay is not what I should look for in my future. The instructors here teach because they love it, the stories they share the enthusiasm they have, it's all proof that fallowing your dreams in life is the only key to happiness we have. I am certain had I gone to another school I would've missed this important lesson. I will elongate my stay here at UNM for another year in hopes of becoming a geneticist, and if I fail I will rest well in the fact that I gave it my all, and look for something else that send my hear aflutter.

With this college oppertunity I have earned so much that I didn't even expect. All through life your told that you need to go to college and make something of yourself. Thigns didn't go as planned for myself and I fell ill in my senior year, so much so that I had to drop out with my 3.6average. After a year of medical leave it was hard to get back into the swing of things. My mom wasn't a good support because she left me homeless when I was 18 and told me I was on my own. I guess that just helped me to make this college decision on my own and not for anyone else because no one even cares if I'm going except me! I'm doing this for me, and not to please my parents like so many others. I've also learned to take advantage of some of the courses in aiding my health to stay up so I can attend school. It is valuable to attend because there are so many growing experiences and even more resources then you even need.

After going through my first semester as a college freshman attending a major university, there are a few things I would have done different in high school and over the summer. If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to take more academically challenging classes throughout high school, expect the toughest from each class, and work more to save up a greater amount of money. In high school I took some tough classes, but not as much as I should have. The 'Advanced Placement' classes at my high school would have definitly prepared me for college courses instead of me being blindsided by tough work and even tougher exams. When entering a class for the first time, you hope it won't be too stressful, but in college you must expect it. With that said, hard classes did not compare to how difficult the shortage of money is when tuition, books, rent, and utilities are due. Fortunatley I was able to pay it off before taking out a loan. Working and being a full time student is one of the hardest things I have ever done. None the less I am getting the job done.

Love, that simple. I would tell my self to love people in my school, church, teams, and family more. I have learned from my time of transition that people are so valuable. I have discovered the art of reconciling,which is to seek to understand instead of understood. Let me describe that better. Through the people i have met and have been surrounded by, i have saw that many people in this world have been misunderstood for a majority of their lives. By discovering this, i would seek to understand them instead of judge them or do random acts of kindness for people. I would love to tell and push myself to do nice things for people like clean desk for a teacher while their out of their classroom or start a club to help families in my school or community that were in need. I Would inspire myself to be more positive and to be encouraging to the people around me. I would not take for granted the opportunity that was given to me, not letting my talents go to waste. I would want myself to take things more serious and have more self-discipline in my commitments.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior I would probubly shout: "Get more scholarships!". Collage life is a big change from being a high schoolar and comes with alot of stress, including the stress that accumulates from finacial trouble. I would also tell myself to be more outgoing in that first simester. Sometimes being shy really gets in the way of making progress with the professors and the other students. Friends become a bastion to defend you from the stress, neurvosness and all the aprehensions that try to drag down you collage moral and comfidence. Also, I would tell myself to buy more toilet paper, because the girls in the dorm go through it fast. But most of all I would tell myself to not worry so much, to not be so resurved and to make the most out of every situation collage would throw at me and to have fun.

If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior about college I'd probably say to stay focused. If you lose focus on your goal by doing other things, you lose opportunities to learn and further your education. I'd also say to myself that it's okay to have fun sometimes as long as you keep yourself balanced and not lose your focus and sight of your goals. A major piece of advice I would give myself is to not let anyone tell you that you can't or shouldn't go after what you want. Anything can be accomplished if you put your heart and time into it.

I felt pressured to finish my degree quickly and enter the professional world because I thought that a bachelor's degree would solve my financial difficulties. Consequently, I missed out on opportunities that would have greatly enhanced my education and my ability to compete for higher paying jobs. Therefore, I would advise myself to slow down and take advantage of more opportunities in college. In particular, I would advise myself to take more time to study Spanish and participate in a study abroad/immersion program so that I could learn to speak the language fluently. I have found that speaking Spanish and knowledge of immigrant populations makes one much more qualified for jobs in the social service industry and earns one significantly more money. I have found that attempting to learn a language fluently becomes very difficult once working full-time because I am not able to leave my job to study in another country. Finally, I would advise myself to take the time to visit my professors more often during their business hours in attempt to build more meaningful and lasting relationships with potential lifelong mentors and advisors.

As a highschool student, one hears it over and over again. The clich? statement that we get from our parents and seasoned friends, "College is a big transition. It's a matter of balancing your education and everything else." However, the young student doesn't realize what is comprised within "everything else." This can include anything from one's job at the supermarket across town, regular doctor appointments, or even going to the gym to stay fit. This along with never-ending class assignments and, hopefully, some time to enjoy oneself with friends all adds up to what may seem like an overbearing, unmanagable schedule. My advice to myself, as a highschool senior, would be to identify my support structure and use it regularly. By this I mean professors, advisors, close friends, family, maybe even a counselor to spill your guts to when times seem unbearable. If there's one thing I've learned over the course of my first semester, it's that one should not make the transition alone. College truly is a "big transition," and with all great endeavors, a little help from those around us can be the difference between success and failure.

Going back in time I would tell myself to be more careful with my money and save my dollars instead of consuming goods. I would also tell myself not to take my friend relationships too seriously as time heals all wounds. If I had saved all the money I earned while working in high school, I wouldn't have to rely so much on student loans. I would also tell myself to have fun and not to stress over life.

When I look back in retrospect to my life during high school, I am reminded of many great memories. It was a care-free time for me. A time where the future was a passing thought and responsibilities of what I would become were not fully developed. I always knew that education was a huge part of my life, and this idea was further instiled in me through my parents. Knowing now about the process and dedication it takes to really apply one's self and make the transition into college life, I would first tell myself that ,"no matter how difficult it may seem always remind yourself of the reason why you are there". Another piece of advise that I would give myself would be to, " be true to yourself, your goals, find a good support system, make time for yourself, and don't lose sight of what you want". College is a process of learning, but it is also a process of developing one's identity. With these two things happening at the same time there may be times when failure comes into play. I would explain to myself that it is okay to not be perfect.

I would go back and tell myself to do two things. First I would say learn to learn, it was one of the few very important things that the educational systems fails to teach at ages that it could be extremely advantageous for. I never wanted to know how to learn until my senior year in High School when I figured out I wanted to make something of myself. I love learning and am excited for everything that will come with it in the coming years. Secondly, I would tell myself to learn to balance those tasks that are necesarry for success with those tasks that give you valuable and meaningful life experiences that one can easily remember for their entire lifetime. I strongly feel that life experiences influence the people we are and the people we strive to be. Engaging in more life experiences would give me the type of growth that would be advantageous in life, but more importantly show me what people need and want, because my main goal in life is to help people live a more fulfilling life through medicine or dentistry.

If I could return, I would tell myself to stop wasting time. It would be nice if I could talk to myself as a freshman instead of a senior, so that I could redo my entire high school life. While I could have been practicing harder in Tennis or working harder for better grades, I spent a lot of my free time in high school playing video games, slacking off, sleeping, browsing the internet, all activities that easily kill time that could have been spent training to improve myself academically, athletically, or artistically. As a Senior, I would tell myself to work harder and aim higher. I only applied for one school because it was close by and I felt like I had slacked off in high school too much to get accepted by an ivy league school, but thinking back now, I should have at least applied. It would have been nicer for me to have been rejected by those colleges than to forever wonder if I could have gotten in. Other than that, I would make myself get more scholorships. Theres so many out there that I didn't need to get a loan or a job.

Starting college is the beginning of a new chapter in one?s life. If I could go back in time and talk to myself as a high school senior, the advice that I would give is never be afraid to ask questions because I am almost sure that at least one other person in the class has the same exact question as you. One more piece of advice that I would give is believe that you can do and be anything you want. By doing this, the transition from living with parents, to living alone is doable because you are able to have confidence in your independence. The dreams that you have set forth for yourself can finally take place because you are free to choose to study and to become whatever you want. It should not matter what other people think of your career choice and whether you can handle the workload or not. The only thing that matters is if you believe you can do it. Never let anybody tell you that you can not be a doctor or a dancer, or a nurse because if you believe in yourself, you have the ability to make it happen.

I would tell myself to not stress the classes so much, learn at every opportunity in and out of the classroom. Remember to make your time in college as much fun as it is educational. There is no need to worry about fitting in, you will find the group of people that you get along with, just be yourself and relax. I would also remind myself to organize ahead of time and find a system of organization that works for me- that would eliminate some stress. Professors appreciate when you ask them about their passion, so get curious about what your learning and what they're teaching- think past what the book says and ask questions! When it comes to meeting people, join the clubs that encompass your interests. This is the best way to meet people you will be able to get along with easiest, but strive to get to know people that are different than you. Remember, an uncomfortable situation means you are expanding your boundaries- keep your mind open and know awkward silences and embarassing moments will be forgotten or laughed at later in life. Don't sweat the small stuff! Life goes on!

I would give myself the most common advice that everyone gave me while I was in high school. Study hard and learn to manage your time well. Even though I have a job and attend school I have to learn how to fit everything together inorder to get it all done. I would also tell myself to make college fun as well. It's one of the greatest achievements to actually attend college so make it one of your most memoriable moments that you can look back on and actually tell yourself I had alot of fun in college. Over all just stay focused, study hard, manage your time, and have fun doing it.